South Kesteven has gone more than three weeks without a death, with the district recording four cases today.

The figures come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is at 6pm set to announce a delay of an easing of lockdown restrictions by four weeks in an address to the nation.

The delay to 'Freedom Day', set for June 21, comes amid growing concerns over the 'Indian variant'which is rising in case numbers, though the total number of deaths from Covid continues to remain low nationally.

Despite such rising case numbers, South Kesteven has not recorded a death with Covid-19 since the weekend of Saturday May 22-23. Today, the UK recorded three deaths overall.

Today's record of four cases compares with 14 recorded over the weekend, one last Monday and 8 the Monday before.

It means the case rate for the district have more than almost trebled since the 7-day infection rate reached a low of 8.4 cases per 100 last Tuesday.

The 7-day rate sharply increased from 14.7 on Friday to 23.9 cases per 100,000 yesterday, to 26 today, based on the district reporting 37 cases over 7 days.

South Kesteven now has a recorded 7709 cases since the start of the pandemic- about one for each 20 residents, which compares with the England average of one for each 15 residents.

The number of deaths remained at 267, as it has for three weeks. Before the last death, the district went almost six weeks without recording a fatality, making it two deaths in about the last two months in South Kesteven.

Today, the UK recorded three deaths overall and 7762 cases.

Nub News will be reporting on the Prime Minister's statement later this evening.